Rotary valve for internal-combustion engines



A. C. FRONK.

ROTARY VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.5, 1919.

1,360,167, l atented Nbv. 23,1920.

, Ill: 7

W 1 TNESS: I N VEN TOR.

fig By M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE.

ANTONY o. rennin, or BURJLEY, InaHo.

Application filed April 5, 1919.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANToNr C. FRoNK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Barley, in the county of Cassia and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Valves for InternaLCoinbustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to engines of the internal combustion type and more particularly to the valve mechanism for controlling the supply of the gaseous mixture and the exhaust of the products of combustion.

The primary intent of the invention is the provision of a rotary valve, thereby simplifying the construction and arrangement and reducing the number of parts to the smallest amount possible consistent with efiiciency and reliability of operation.

The inventi onaims to directly mount a rotary valve in the head of the cylinder and to connect the same directly with the crank:

shaft preferably by means of a belt, thereby insuring simplicity of structure and enabling the parts to be readily accessible for any desired purpose.

The drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it isto be understood that in adapting the same to meet different conditions, various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the nature of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

in order to illustrate the application of the invention. the drawing hereto attached, shows the same applied. to an internal combastion engine of conventional form and in the drawing;

Figure l is an end view;

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail through the head of the cylinder on the line 2P2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,;

Fig. i is a detail view of the rotary valve;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the rotary valve on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5 looking to the left, as indicated by the arrow.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and. indicated in the several views of the drawing by like reference characters.

The engine illustrated may be of any form or construction commonly provided for Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

Serial No. 287,697.

utilizing a gaseous medium as the motive agent, said engine comprising a crank case 1, cylinder 2 and cylinder head 3, the latter being adapted to be bolted or otherwise tast ened to the cylinder in any usual way. The crank shaft 4 extends beyond the crank case and is provided with a sprocket wheel 5 from which power is taken by' means of a belt 6 for operating the rotary valve. The belt 6 may consist of a sprocket chain or other means commonly employed in the mechanical arts for transmitting motion from one part to another.

In accordance with the present invention the head 3 is provided with a cylindrical bore or opening 6 in which is snugly fitted a rotary valve 7. The valve 7 projects at one end beyond the head 3 and the projecting end is provided with a sprocket wheel 8 which is connected with the sprocket wheel 5 by means of the belt 6. The relative proportions of the sprocket wheels 5 and 8 is such as to admit of the crank shaft making two complete revolutions to one complete revolution of the rotary valve. It will thus be understood that the valve mechanism illustrated is for an engine of the four-cycle type. The head 3 is provided with three openings or ports for each of the cylinders and these ports or openings are designated at 9, 10 and 11. The port or opening 10 constitutes the exhaust. The port or opening 11 is the intake for the gaseous mixture. The port or opening 9 is common to both the intake and the exhaust, since the gaseous mikture'enters therethrough and the products of combustion pass outwardly therefrom. The rotary valve 7 controls the several ports or openings.

The rotary valve 7 is provided with three ports 12, 13 and 14, respectively. The ports 12 and 13 are in the same plane and are di posed quartering and are in communication at their inner ends. The port 195 communicates with the port 9 when the port 13 is in communication with the port 10, whereby to provide an escape for the products of coinbustion after the expanding gases have driven the piston to the limit of its stroke in the cylinder. The port 14 registers with the port 11 when the port 13 is in registry with the port 9, thereby admitting of the gaseous mixture being drawn into the cylinder. It should be stated that the ports or openings 9 and 10 are in the same plane which is different from the plane of the llt port or opening 11, thereby preventing the registering of the ports 12 and 13 with the port 11. The port 14 only registers with the port or opening 11 and at this time the exhaust port 10 is closed and the port 13 is in register with the port or opening 9. The port 14 is in communication at its inner end with the ports 12 and 13 by means of a passage 15.

i It is to be understood that the rotary valve may be of any length depending upon the number of cylinders comprising the engine, said valve being provided with'a set of three ports for each cylinder and a head 3 having three ports or openings to cooperate with the port of the valve. Of course the sets of ports in the length of the valve will be disposed to admit of the successive firing of the cylinders in a manner well understood. The

port 9 opens into the-cylinder and when the said cylinderis receiving a charge, the port 14 will be in register with the port 11 and the port 13 will register with the port 9. During the next two cycles of the engine the gas will be compressed in the cylinder and fired and on the fourth cycle the ports 1310 and 12-9 will be in register, as indicated in Fig. 2, whereby the spent gases or. products- "of combustion exhaust.

It will be understood from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawing that the invention materially simplifies the construction, reduces the parts to the smallest number possible and obviates the provision of a cam shaft, valve lift mechanism and cooperating parts generally required in engines of the internal combustion type; Moreover, the valve mechanism is positive and certain in action and there is no possibility for any cylinder tailing to receive a proper charge or exhausting at the proper t me, because the one valve is common to and controls the supply and exhaust of all the cylinders of the engine.

The foregoing description and the drawing have reference to what may be considered the preferred, or approved form of my invention. t is to be understood that I may make such changes in construction and arrangement and combination of parts, materials, dimensions, et cetera, as may prove expedient and fall within the scope oi: the ap pended claim.

*Taving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A rotary valve mechanism for internal combustion engines. comprising a part closing an end of the cylinder and provided with three ports, one in communication with the cylinder, the second constituting the exhaust.

and the third forming the intake, the exhaust port and the port opening into the cylinder being in the same plane and disposed quartering and the intake port being in a different relative plane, and a rotary valve mounted in said part and having three ports in communication at their inner ends. two of the ports being in the same plane andset quartering and adapted to register with the exhaust port and the port opening into the cylinder formed in the part in which the valve is mounted and the third port being in a different relative plane and diametrically opposite one of the said two ports and adapted to register with the intake port only during each complete revolution of the valve.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature.

ANTONY C. FRONK. 

